Editor’s Essay: Good-bye Homo Sapiens

The currency of the public discussion converging on issues such as fake news, sham testimonials, manipulation of images and political swindles, addressed by most of the authors in the present issue, signals the start of a vigorous preoccupation with the state of our culture. This concern has compelled me to attempt to isolate what circumstances might be historically specific to the current cultural malaise. Social critics, in their desire to find evidence of the fraud, duplicity and general immorality that is at the heart of our ailments, never tire of pointing to the political establishment as the foremost cause and offender. While not defending politicians under any circumstances, I’ll argue that the muddle and disarray that characterise current politics are incidental to a much more pernicious threat. What is commonly overlooked, especially by media analysts and observers, is the distinctive contribution of technology to the degradation of culture. Yes, technology.